Red Cross (Revenant
#104) 2003Released
Feb 11, 2003. Revenant Records.On February 11,
2003, we released our late founder John Fahey's final album, Red Cross.
An intensely personal project for John which he completed a few months
before his death and originally intended for release in 2001, Red Cross
can be heard as Fahey coming full circle, reinvigorated, at peace with
both past and present.

Includes spine-tingling interpretations
of Irving Berlin's "Remember" and the Gershwins' "Summertime,"
alongside a number of stellar new Fahey originals. Featuring the acoustic
fingerpicking of yore as well as some shimmering electric guitar vamps,
Red Cross touches those peculiarly Faheyian regions in the heart and
mind. A final, sparkling gem from a true American original.

The
Legend of Blind Joe Death1959,
'64, '67A musicologist as
well as a musician of singular stripe, John Fahey has been instrumental
in the re-discovery of lost bluesmen such as Skip James and Bukka White
during the late '50s. In 1959 he financed his own debut album, supposedly
sharing billing with a certain Blind Joe Death, though nobody was taken
in by such a gentle ruse. Only a handful of pressings were made.
With a sweet of irony he was rediscovered himself a few years later and
he re-recorded the same set of tunes first in 1964 and then again in 1967,
in stereo. All three albums, chart his growth into a superlative acoustic
guitar technician capable of blending elements of country, blues and ragtime
into a style that in its spare, haunting beauty is uniquely his own. --Peter
Kane

Death
Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes'64,
'67This inspired collection is a combination reissue
all the music from John Fahey's groundbreaking 1964 disc Death Chants
and his re-recorded version from 1967. The clear (and thankfully
not digitally messed-with) sound plus context-heavy, insightful liner
notes by Mr. Byron Coley make the reissue a must even for folks who own
the original artifacts. For the guitar aficionados, on the 1964
recordings Fahey uses a late 1890's Martin New Yorker. Fahey on a period
instrument is exciting - the performance late-night boozy, energized.

The
Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites
'64, '67This wasFahey’s third Takoma record
and is one of his best. The flights of fancy of the original pieces
are contrasted with traditional tunes from country blues and old-time
Appalachian sources, and the two strains come together on tracks like
"Variations on the Coocoo.” Fahey’s dark sound, quirky humor, and moody
slide work are all in evidence on this release, which also includes
four bonus tracks from the original 1964 session, released here for
the first time, Tulip (aka When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red
Rose), Daisy (aka A Bicycle Built for Two), The Siege of Sevastopol,
Steel Guitar Rag.

The Transfiguration of Blind Joe
DeathA strange man, John Fahey, with
an unusual set of guitar styles. This album, originally released
on Riverboat Records and later reissued by Fahey's own Takoma label,
has a lot of rough edges in terms of the recording but a tremendous
amount of power when it comes to the music. Fahey at the top
of his game, alternately playful and dark, so there's never a dull
moment. There is always something new to be heard on each playing.
-- Steven McDonald, All-Music Guide (Five Stars)

The Great San Bernardino Birthday
Party
JF in 1990 called this masterpiece "a histrionic, disorganised
outpouring of blather".
The final section begins with a tune he learned in Texas from Little
Hat Jones called "Bye Bye My Honey Fare Thee Well" (vide.
OK. 8815: "Bye Bye Blues," by Jones, recorded in San Antonio,
Saturday, June 14, 1930.). The last few pitches, played in open G
minor tuning (as is the rest of the song, with the exception of the
Jones tune) is augmented with the use of a butcher knife (instead
of the customary bottleneck) which thus produces a Hawaiian effect.
 The last six notes express futility, a hopelessness and general
existential despair complicated by ontological absurdity.

Days
Have Gone By Amazon.com's Best
of 2001When John Fahey recorded this album in 1967, he was at the peak
of his considerable powers as a musician, writer, and composer.
His fingerpicking is astounding; surely no stronger thumb ever struck
a bass string than the one that drove "Night Train to Valhalla,"
no surer fingers ever plucked a melody than the ones that coaxed
the epic sweep of "The Portland Cement Factory of Monolith,
California" from six strands of steel and a wooden box with
a hole in it. This album includes some of Fahey's best-loved tunes,
including the aforementioned songs, the bluesy "Revolt of the
Dyke Brigade" (Fahey was tweaking the sensitivities of folk
music audiences before anyone knew what political incorrectness
was), and the uncategorizable "Raga Called Pat." The latter
isn't Indian music at all, but a sprawling two-part odyssey constructed
from train whistles, bird calls, and dancing guitar figures. This
well-mastered and lovingly packaged reissue includes two sets of
liner notes; Fahey's originals are a hilariously obtuse parody of
poetic, philosophical, and historical pretensions, while a new set
by journalist and poet Monica Kendrick acknowledges his passing
mere months before this record came out by paying homage to Fahey's
enduring artistry. --Bill Meyer

The
Voice of the TurtleThis fine release
comes with a very neat booklet that chronicles a Fahey & Co. journey
through the Mississippi Delta canvassing for old records, is such a
potential for conversation you should have a party to discuss it.
It has a photograph of Beautiful Linda Getchell among others, even Evil
Devil Woman, also photographs of Fahey's relatives. And who is
that singing? A famous, popular and fun release. I don't
even know who's playing on this in spots. Does anybody know?

Requia
& Other Compositions For Guitar SoloJohn Fahey has
finally arrived at his (pre)destination - that of a cultural icon and
purveyor of the lost sounds of yesterday. I bought this CD on impulse,
being familiar with the man but not his music. They are both national
treasures. His mastery of the guitar shines through, melding the traditional
themes of the first two requia and "When the Catfish Is In Bloom" with
the more modern, soundscape nature of the Requiem for Molly. Just as
Fahey discovered and soaked in the music of this nation's blues forebears,
so should you do the same with his own contribution to a unique musical
heritage. --Thanks to: jaerter@davidson.edu from Davidson,
NC

The
Yellow PrincessJohn
Fahey's willingness to incorporate hard edges, ungainly joins and sagging
tempos have given his acoustic guitar music an emotional whack which players
like Leo Kottke and Bert Jansch can't quite summon. This, a re-issue of
his eighth album from 1968, is by no means his best but there is a ragged
majesty about some of the playing, particularly on his adaptation of the
Saint-Saens theme which forms the title track and the ringing flourishes
of Lion, a requiem for a favorite cat.

The
New Possibility John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas AlbumJohn Fahey has made a habit of recording a new album
of Christmas music every five or six years, but The New Possibility, which
was originally released in 1968, is still his best. On it, Fahey has pulled
off the near miraculous feat of taking old holiday chestnuts like "Joy
to the World" and "It Came upon a Midnight Clear" and making
them sound fresh. When he plays a Travis-picking version of "O Come
All Ye Faithful" or he recasts "Silent Night, Holy Night"
as bottleneck blues, you get the feeling Fahey is treating the music with
respect rather then piety. Also included in this reissue are six tracks
from his 1975 release Christmas with John Fahey, Vol. II. The songs feature
some nice duets with Rick Ruskin, but the arrangements lack some of the
quirkiness that made The New Possibility sound unique. This isn't Bing
Crosby singing "White Christmas," but it is a modern holiday
classic nonetheless. --Michael Simmons

AmericaPlayful,
tragic, bluesy, happy, profound. Illustrated with Fahey's vision of the
future. Brilliant.And
even better, Fahey only released half of it in 1970, convinced
that a double album wouldn't sell. Half of it sat in the can for over
25 years! Here you have the whole thing. One of the ten best
releases of the 90's. Cannot be too highly recommended. Pick it up now
that you can get it! What we need now is for Fantasy to release
"The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party" and "Days Have Gone By".
Rumors are flying and we have their number.

Of
Rivers and ReligionIn
the 1970s Fahey recorded three "John Fahey and his Orchestra"
albums, and this is the first. But it's not an orchestra, that's just
a little joke, it's a dixieland jazz band plus some other assorted acoustic
accompanists. Fahey fans are divided - some like the trad jazz tracks
and some hate them. Fahey himself thought they were the greatest bunch
of musicians he'd ever worked with. Anyhow, this album is a real mixed
bag. "Steamboat" is a collection of lazy generic slide riffs,
very pretty but nothing too challenging; the two medleys (guitar duets)
are extremely dull; "Funeral Song" is a rerecording of an old
fave from "Requia" and is great but unnecessary; "Lord
Have Mercy" is full-on trad jazz and is tedious (sorry John); "Song"
is a solo guitar meditation, that's okay - so that leaves only two gems
- "Texas and Pacific" which is a trumpet led jazz tune, great
melody, and the gradual increase of pace works like magic, and the heavenly
"Dixie Pig", which must be in my top 5 Fahey tunes - on that
one the dobro player gets the best bits. I think I'll have it played at
my funeral service. There won't be a dry eye in the place. But, well,
two out of seven ain't that good by anyone's reckoning. - Paul Bryant

Fare Forward Voyagers (Soldier's
Choice)Hard to find. This is Fahey's
non-Christian religious album. On the reverse of the sleeve there is
this: "I respectfully dedicate this album to my guru, Swami Satchidananda".
Inside the first issue of the album there was a 4 page pamphlet entitled
"Yogaville West", which, we were informed, was "a growing
spiritual community in the beautiful mountains of Lake County, Northern
California". Surmounting three pictures of the community was the
following message:

"I would like to introduce you to this healthy, spiritually based
concept of living. The 46 people living here follow the ideals of Integral
Yoga as taught by Swami Satchidananda. To the extent that I have practised
these techniques, they really seem to work. - John Fahey" -notes
from The Discography

The
Essential John FaheyBy
1967 Fahey was at the height of his compositional and playing power, and
pieces like "The Yellow Princess" and "When the Catfish
is in Bloom" are truly stunning. Even the less flamboyant - say,
"Charles A Lee" - have a mesmerising beauty. There is not one
wasted second on this brilliant cd (which consists of 2 albums "Yellow
Princess" and "Requia" minus a long guitar-plus-sound-effects
piece called "Requiem for Molly" which you're better off without).
Listen to the ringing intro to "The Yellow Princess", or its
helterskelter finale; melt away to the simple tune which wraps up "Russell
Blaine Cooper"; delight in the whole thing. Guitar perfection. --Paul
Bryant of Nottingham

John Fahey Christmas GuitarJohn
Fahey is a visionary, an iconoclast, and a plain old American weirdo.
He's also a brilliant acoustic guitarist, whose earnestness is matched
only by his oblique sense of humor. These performances--ranging from
the cheery "Joy to the World" and "We Three Kings"
to the thoughtful "Bells of St. Mary's" and "In the Bleak
Midwinter"--are pretty straightforward though. Some tend toward
the academic, but all are quite beautiful in their own reserved way,
making this the perfect unintrusive album for a quiet Christmas gathering
or an evening by the hearth. The notoriously squirrely Fahey might be
the last guy you'd invite over for eggnog, but you'd be foolish not
to let his exquisite music into your home. --Michael Ruby

John
Fahey Leo Kottke Peter LangWhat Piccard and Jones
did with a balloon in '99, Kottke, Lang & Fahey did way back in '74
with a guitar. They took centuries old technology and redefined its capabilities
by applying innovation, vision and courage. For the unenlightened that
thought the guitar was limited to either ear splitting rock riffs and/or,
campfire strum-alongs, this trio lifts the listener far above the peaks
of expected performance and shows them the light.

A must have
for fingerstyle guitar enthusiasts? Certainly, but more importantly,
a must have for anyone who has no idea what fingerstyle guitar is. These
are the guitar-tists that changed the guitar-picker paradigm and defined
the fingerstyle genre. ---Dana J. Valley, Melbourne, Australia

Old Fashioned LoveJohn Fahey and his
Orchestra
Though his abiding affection for music glad or sad is obvious here,
be not deceived that he has joined the nostalgia craze. Any overly sentimental
hand he extends has a buzzer in it. --Guitar Player

Not
available on CD yet

The
Best of John Fahey 1959-1977 on TakomaThis single-CD best-of has a fair amount of material
in common with Rhino's 2-CD "Return Of The Repressed" collection,
but is a more compact and cohesive reading of the first half of Fahey's
career. Stunning acoustic guitar work with the undying creativity that
Fahey infused into all his work. If you haven't heard Fahey's work before,
this is an excellent starting point; exploration into his original, full
albums is also highly recommended.

From his review for the UK-based Record Collector, critic Sid Smith gave the album 4 stars, writing "... although the landscape may look and sound familiar, nothing is quite what it seems. Circuitous, complex lines are unfurled into rare, blooming chords in much the way a magician pulls flowers out of his pocket. However, it’s the gothic rumbles of "Guitar Lamento" that remind us how Fahey’s use of space and haunting repetition created glorious epic moods tempered with a bleak intensity that still resonates."

John Fahey Visits Washington D.C.
was reissued on CD in 2008 by Ace Records.

This is on that you're pretty much on your own to track down. Good luck! Vinyl copies, the occasional CD, cassettes, go for it.

Live in Tasmania, an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, was originally released in 1981. It was his first live album release after 18 albums. It was reissued on Takoma in 2004. Stellar.

Critic Stewart Voegtlin praised the 2007 reissue in Stylus, singling out the tracks "Oneonta", "Imitation Train Whistles/Po' Boy" and "Afternoon Espee Through Salem". He commented Fahey "coasted through enough records; he labored honestly at others. Railroad undoubtedly shows both approaches, but holds enough magic in its shallow well to keep those that seek a bare bones account of the man that made it mired in stubborn stories that do little to lay the self-proclaimed 'primitive' bare."

Let Go...seldom
has his mercurial brilliance been so beautifully presented as on "Let
Go". Working with producer Terry Robb, Fahey has assembled the usual
eclectic mix of material... What distinguishes this lp, however, is
Robb's superb production, in which the string-scraping sounds common
to most acoustic guitar recordings are virtually eliminated, allowing
the rich instrumental textures to shine through. Robb is an extraordinarily
sympathetic accompanist, too, but the real attraction here is Fahey,
whose startling harmonic inventions and rough-hewn elegance of attack
are as mesmerizing as ever. - Rolling Stone. August 2, 1984

John
Fahey with Terry RobbPopular Songs of Christmas
and New YearThe remarkable acoustic guitarist really stretches out on this generous
19-song compendium of holiday tunes guaranteed to jog the memory and make
you ponder why these songs aren't heard more often. Fahey (joined here
and there by second guitarist Terry Robb) plucks his way lovingly through
carols such as "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "Jolly Old
Saint Nick," his unique style ever-so-subtly evoking the ambiance
of bygone days. Fahey also brings a smile via non- traditional songs like
"Skater's Waltz" and "The Holly and the Ivy," making
this the kind of disc you can slip on any time of year for a quick, wintry
pick-me-up. --David Sprague

Rain Forests, Oceans, And Other ThemesFahey's recent
albums have all been praised, but Rain Forests stands out. A fine example
of an artist in full command of his art, an excellently recorded, essential
album. Diehards may have to be patient at first, but, more importantly,
newcomers will delight in this step forward of the acoustic guitar.
-- from Folk Roots magazine

I Remember Blind Joe DeathWhat the Critics
Say: John Fahey is the daddy of all the American fingerstyle acoustic
guitarists who've emerged since the War. He made his first record, Blind
Joe Death, in 1959 and since then he has managed to continue making
records of marginal commercial appeal, many of them utterly magical.
His grounding in the blues dovetails with his academic interest in folklore
and mythology and his range of rags, reels and airs has the stately
deliberation and creaking demeanor of genuinely old music. Even when
he lashes out with the bottleneck as on Gaucho there is nothing facile
about his approach.-David
Hepworth

God,
Time and CausalityRecorded upon the
completion of a long road tour, Fahey himself has been heard to remark
that he feels this is his best album. Many evenings of performance
help make these sessions unsurpassed for nimble execution of some very
technical fingerwork. Undoubtedly it offers us some of Fahey's finest
moments with the acoustic guitar. This is an all-out effort with
an in-concert flavor. An album to enjoy thoroughly and appreciate
for his extraordinary sense of tempo alone.

Old Girlfriends and Other Horrible
MemoriesIt seems apparent
that many people who have this Fahey album, which is not a bad one at
all, bought it for the title alone. I had to have THAT one!
Uproarious laughter usually follows, making it a catalyst in any relationship-building
encounter...

The
John Fahey Christmas AlbumThis gifted guitarist
possesses a remarkable blend of power and delicacy, and an unparalleled
ear for the beauty of music both ancient and new. On this lovely collection,
Fahey (accompanied by piano and cello) takes listeners on a tour that
spans different cultures (Ireland and Spain, to name but two) and eras.
Blending older sanctified music such as "Angels from the Realms of
Glory" and "Mary Had a Baby" with thematically related
pieces such as "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooms," Fahey captures the
spirit of December 25th. --David Sprague

Return
of the Repressed -The John Fahey AnthologyA very well selected
collection of Fahey's finest offerings on a two-CD set. Fahey's warm,
inviting manner will appeal to anyone who likes to hear good music played
on an acoustic guitar. The liner notes, in booklet form, inform
and entertain - great photos as well. Contains Fahey's own comments
on each song includes the guitar tuning to help those who want to give
it a try and need a clue. An excellent gift idea to turn someone
on to John Fahey, well worth the price.

City
of RefugeFor certain it has
little to do soundwise w/ Fahey's more traditional guitar stylings, but
plenty of association and reference to his earlier experiments in musique
concrete. Sounds like some weird cross between Derek Bailey and John Cage
maybe. I especially enjoy the opening overture, which sounds like Fahey
jamming with an oldnoisy
refrigerator motor. This CD is grating at times but I've got a lot of
respect for Fahey for announcing his 'comeback' with such a thoroughly
uncompromising disc of new material. - a fan

WomblifeFor those in mystery
about Fahey's foray into new territory, having heard this word "alternative"
bantered about and not fully willing to take the plunge, I highly recommend
Womblife as a sensible jumping-in place. For whatever reason, you
owe it to yourself to try this one on for size. Out of the ordinary?
Yes, it is. And of all the "alternative" Fahey albums to date, this
is the one that is so coherent, gentle and well developed you find yourself
putting it on the player over and over, not to memorize it, but to bask
in the ambiance it creates. A lovely avant-garde listen that won't
let you down if you are one to appreciate Fahey's genius for interval
havoc that just keeps on working. The version of "Juana" here is
an acoustic precursor to the wonderful live electric version to follow
on Georgia Stomps and is a lovely tune with which to end the album.
--Melissa

The
Epiphany of Glenn JonesJohn Fahey, Cul
de SacBacked by Cul de
Sac, The Epiphany of Glenn Jones represents some of the best playing of
fingerstyle guitarist JohnFahey
in a long time. It's a perfect blend of moody, acoustic ballads, and improvised
noodling, all featuring overtly simple guitar and sampler structures.
Fahey fans should buy it for "Gamelan Guitar" alone--a repetitive little
ditty that features Fahey accompanied by the tinkling sound effects of
closely-mic'd dry beans and rice poured into bowls and over guitar strings.
With Fahey's newfound status as an avant-gardist, along with his improving
health, you'd think these sessions would be a cakewalk for Cul de Sac.
But the liner notes present a different take. Album title namesake Glenn
Jones isn't some mythical Fahey persona (such as Blind Joe Death), but
rather Cul de Sac's frontman. In a detailed essay, Jones describes his
follies of trying to work with his musical hero, Fahey: mood swings, arguments,
personal and artistic differences, and more. Nevertheless, Cul de Sac
and Fahey somehow worked their problems out and this resulting album turned
out exceptionally well. --Jason Verlinde

Georgia
Stomps, Atlanta Struts, and
Other Contemporary Dance FavoritesThere's still big,
bluesy, idiosyncratic sound ready to flow from his fingers, and his playing
has mellowed a bit, gone off on tangents that will likely most interest
people who already are fans. Recorded in an intimate theater in Atlanta
in 1997, this disc shows Fahey improvising a slow-burning set of original
and traditional compositions. The way he ruminates and dissects "House
of the Rising Sun," in particular, is fascinating and fresh.

HitomiAnd on this fine release, his age (61) and his negotiation
of his physical changes, seem only to have refined his music. A beautifully
packaged release on new label LivHouse Records finds Fahey alone, his
sound fragile and spare, supported by various reverb, echo, digital
delay, otherwise it's a stark naked sound. It's a fractured, spectral
blues which Fahey spins out here, across eight beguiling, graceful tracks,
carefully feeling his way through age-old motifs and manouevres - occasionally
sorrowful plangent cries, occasionally rumbustious rolling characters.
In sudden flurries of minimalist patterns, his guitar can sound koto-like
- these blues are as Japanese as they are African-American - it's a
music imbued with ancient dignity. --Dan
Hill

"Last night I
went to John Fahey's web site, placed an order, registered with PayPal,
received an e-mail from you, and then got word that it's already in
transit to me. If that's not the skillful application of efficiency,
I don't know what is." - Michael Tyree, Grafton, WI 6/10/03

Price:
$20.00 Free shipping. Guaranteed In stock.

John Fahey Trio Vol OneIn
Fahey's Last Phase (96-01) he was experimenting like crazy and was telling
everyone that all the old stuff was horrible, only his new stuff was
any good. This of course was nonsense. He was just trying to be the
oldest punk in town. The Trio work is Fahey at his most noisy, tuneless
and experimental. Some of it just sounds like roadworks outside your
house. Guitar, keyboard and a ton of effects, plus at times JF intoning
very funny parts of liner notes to previous albums. It's fairly excruciating
to my shell-like ears, but I'm aware that some folks LIKE this kind
of thing - there are dozens of noise bands out there. Fahey's favourites
were Einsturzende Neubauten - so if you like those bad boys, this is
for you. But if you love "Sunflower River Blues" or "The
Death of the Clayton Peacock" then invest in a pack of Anadin Extra
before pressing Play. You have been warned.

And again, Red Cross
(Revenant #104) Released
Feb 11, 2003. Revenant Records.On February 11,
2003, we'll release our late founder John Fahey's final album, Red Cross.
An intensely personal project for John which he completed a few months
before his death and originally intended for release in 2001, Red Cross
can be heard as Fahey coming full circle, reinvigorated, at peace with
both past and present.

Includes spine-tingling interpretations
of Irving Berlin's "Remember" and the Gershwins' "Summertime," alongside a number of stellar new Fahey originals. Featuring the acoustic
fingerpicking of yore as well as some shimmering electric guitar vamps,
Red Cross touches those peculiarly Faheyian regions in the heart and
mind. A final, sparkling gem from a true American original. - words
stolen from Revenant Records without giving it a second thought.